The Usual
by charlestonbound
Summary: Richard Castle was tired of the usual.  A coffee metaphor.  Pure fluff!


A/N: Castle is not mine, just borrowing. Any and all mistakes are solely mine. Enjoy the **fluff!** R&R?

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><p>Richard Castle was a man with a plan. Albeit, this was very subtle and he was hoping that the very astute Katherine Beckett would catch on.<p>

Throughout the years, bringing Beckett her morning coffee had become routine, much like their relationship. While he used to receive some sort of acknowledgment or a quiet "thank you" on her good mornings, these days, placing the coffee on her desk rarely garnered any sort of attention. In fact, everything about their relationship had become business as usual and Castle decided it was time for a change.

On Monday, he ordered her usual-one cream, three Splendas-and placed it on her desk as he did every morning. He sat down in the chair beside her desk and waited. She took a sip and sat the paper cup down on her desk before acknowledging Castle with a comment. "Lanie called a couple minutes ago. She needs us down in the morgue, let's go." Castle got up from his chair and followed her, business as usual. _Tomorrow, _he thought to himself.

On Tuesday, he put his plan into motion. He ordered her regular coffee with one cream and only two Splendas. He wondered if she'd notice (or mention) the difference. He placed the coffee down on her desk and waited. She was on the phone when he had walked up but grabbed the coffee and took a sip. He noticed her face scrunch up slightly at the bitterness but she continued talking. "We've got a body, 12th and Lex." _Maybe tomorrow._

On Wednesday, he ordered his usual and a one cream, one Splenda coffee for Beckett. He smiled to himself as he walked into the precinct, certain this would be the day she'd say...something, anything. Beckett was talking on her cell phone again this morning, snatching up the coffee and taking a sip mid-conversation just like the day before. Her face scrunched more severely and she shot Castle a quick glare but walked towards the break room, still chatting on her phone. He sat in his usual chair and watched her grab a couple packs of Splenda from the coffee station and empty them into her coffee. He couldn't help but laugh. _ Maybe tomorrow._

On Thursday, he ordered a red-eye for himself and a black coffee for Beckett. They had worked late into the night, trying to make sense of their latest murder. At midnight they had called it a night, and Castle knew Beckett would be tired this morning, probably sneaking into the station at daylight to look at her precious board again. When he placed the coffee down on her desk, she glanced up at him with a small, appreciative smile and he couldn't help but smile back. _Finally._ She took a sip of her coffee and nearly spit it out, covering her mouth with her hand, trying choke back the bitterness.

"Castle! _What_ is going on with my coffee this week?" she asked in a semi-accusatory tone. At least it felt that way.

"What's wrong with it, Beckett?"

"Every morning for three years, you get me my usual. This week, something weird is going on," she pauses, mentally collecting herself before catching on, "wait, wait...wait."

He was caught. He smiled his clever half-smile and she knew.

"Castle, what's going on? I know you did this for a reason, spill," she said, calming her previous tone.

"Come with me to the break room...oh, and bring your coffee."

He walked ahead as she paused for a second, trying to figure out what he was up to. She got up and followed, forgetting to bring her coffee along. She was too busy thinking to see the blinds of the break room were closed, entering in with a line of questioning already forming on her lips.

"Castle, I..." she began, but was stopped abruptly by the sound of the door being pulled closed and his lips on hers. She was too shocked to do anything but respond to the kiss-it was hard to deny it felt good. His lips were smooth, warm, and comforting, just as perfect as she remembered. After a couple of seconds, she jerked away, a dazed expression on her face.

"What was that?" she questioned, very, very flustered.

"That was me making a point," he replied.

"A point? How does kissing me in the middle of the precinct make a point about anything? What in the hell were you thinking?"

It was clear that the more she thought about it, the angrier she was getting so Castle took that as his sign to make his point...and quickly.

"My point being, I'm tired of 'the usual,' Kate," he stated honestly, half-heartedly making quotation marks in the air. "Every morning for three years, I bring you the same coffee and you don't even acknowledge me anymore-"

"The coffee? That's what this is about?"

"Yes...no. I mean, the point is, I don't want 'the usual' anymore. I want go acknowledge whatever this is between us."

"Oh," she said sheepishly. This was entering into the kind of emotional territory that Kate Beckett tried to steer clear of at all costs. Castle closed the gap between them by walking forward and putting his left hand on her hip and bringing his right hand up to her cheekbone. She tried to avert her eyes to the ground but when he began stroking her face slightly with his thumb, she had to meet his gaze.

"I'm just...tired of this. We are more than this."

"What are we then?" she whispered, unable to take her eyes off his lips.

He leaned in to kiss her again, this time with more tenderness and every bit of emotion he had pent up the last few years. Their kiss wasn't hurried-it was slow, steady, and perfect. After a few moments, they broke apart and leaned their foreheads together.

"Seriously? Coffee?" she mocked, a happy smile gradually playing on her lips.

"I had to get your attention somehow."

"You've always had my attention, Rick," she admitted.

"Could've fooled me."

"Time to get back to work, Castle. Not everyone gets to lollygag all day for a living," she said, pulling back from their embrace and trying to compose herself. Neither could stop smiling. Kate headed towards the door.

"The usual tomorrow?"

"Surprise me," she replied with a smirk, leaving Castle grinning like a fool.


End file.
